All the Vitality T20 Blast match results and reactions from today’s matches….

A stunning opening partnership between Martin Guptill and Riki Wessels fired Worcestershire Rapids to a nine-wicket win over Durham in the Vitality Blast.

Durham had posted 181 for eight but the defending champions reached that seemingly testing total with 47 balls remaining as Guptill and Wessels crashed 15 sixes between and combined for a 148-run stand from 53 balls.

Guptill remained unbeaten on 86, from 31 balls, with 10 sixes while Wessels added 74 from 29 balls as the Rapids moved second in the North Group, behind Lancashire Lightning after their trip to Derbyshire Falcons on Sunday was a washout.

Alex Carey hit 78, from 46 balls, on his Sussex debut to fire the Sharks to a 13-run win over Somerset at Taunton.

Visa issues had delayed the Australian wicketkeeper-batsman's bow for the Sharks but he made sure the wait was worth it, hitting four sixes as the visitors posted 184 for eight.

Babar Azam top-scored in Somerset’s response, with 83 from 50 balls, but it was his second successive significant score in a defeat after he hit 95 in Friday night’s loss to Hampshire.

Somerset have now won just once in four games to start the Blast and leave their hopes of a domestic treble in some jeopardy with club second in the Specsavers County Championship and having already won the Royal London One-Day Cup.

Rain prevented any play between Northants Steelbacks and Yorkshire Vikings at Wantage Road.

Northamptonshire v Yorkshire, North Group County Ground, Northampton 2:30 PM

Result - Match abandoned without a ball being bowled

The umpires have made their decision and unfortunately today's match has been abandoned.

Steady rain prevented any play between Northamptonshire and Yorkshire in the Vitality Blast at Wantage Road. Persistent drizzle never relented and with the forecast poor for the rest of the day the umpires abandoned the match at 3pm.

The washout was frustrating for Northants, who hoped to build on their first win on Friday, while a second no result for Yorkshire leaves them with one win from five matches.

Both sides now have four days off before home matches on Friday - Northants entertain Derbyshire while Yorkshire return to Headingley to face reigning champions Worcestershire.

Opening pair Riki Wessels and Martin Guptill bludgeoned holders Worcestershire Rapids to a nine victory over Durham in the Vitality Blast as the home side made a triumphant return to playing cricket at Blackfinch New Road.

Wessels and Guptill made short work of a 182 target as they galloped to half centuries off just 20 and 18 balls respectively.

Even allowing for the short Cathedral side boundary, it was an astonishing display of hitting by the duo and thrilled a 3,800 crowd.

All of the Durham attack were powerless to stem the tide of sixes and boundaries as the hundred came up in the seventh over.

Liam Trevaskis conceded 24 runs in the eighth over as the Rapids raced to their second Blast win of the campaign.

The partnership was worth 148 in just 8.5 overs when Wessels, having made 74 off 29 balls with five sixes and eight fours, lofted Carse to mid off.

Guptill continued to pepper the boundary exactly two weeks after he had been on the losing side with New Zealand in the ICC World Cup final against England in dramatic circumstances and ended 86 not out.

He finished the game in just 12.1 overs with his 11th six – off Trevaskis – and also hit three fours in his 31 ball knock.

Worcestershire have been forced to de-camp to Kidderminster’s Chester Road ground for their Specsavers County Championship matches with Sussex and Derbyshire after their headquarters suffered a middle of June flood.

The Rapids opted to bowl and Durham opener D’Arcy Short made a quickfire 23 but then turned a free hit delivery from Pat Brown to mid wicket, set off for a risky single and failed to beat Rapid skipper Brett D’Oliveira’s direct hit.

Ben Raine (6) perished in the next over when he came down the wicket to Pennington and nicked through to keeper Ben Cox. It became three wickets in three overs when Scott Steel (13) sliced Parnell to Ross Whiteley at cover.

His dismissal brought in Durham’s new signing Peter Handscomb who has replaced fellow Australian Cameron Bancroft as one of the club’s overseas players for the remainder of the season.

Handscomb and Alex Lees set repairing the early damage and brought up the half century stand in six overs.

Lees was in a particularly aggressive mood and his 44 off 31 balls included three sixes before he gave Pennington the charge and was bowled to end a stand of 75 in eight overs with Handscomb.

Handscomb (37 off 28 balls) eventually perished at long off to Guptill off Brown on his return to the attack for the 17th over.

Brown struck again in the same over when Jack Burnham (23) picked out Whiteley at deep mid-wicket before Trevaskis (6) was lbw to Parnell.

THE TURNING POINT: The run out of D’Arcy Short when in full flight by Brett D’Oliveira’s direct hit from mid wicket.

DELIVERY (OR) SHOT OF THE MATCH: Massive straight six from Martin Guptill off Nathan Rimmington brought up Rapids 50 off only 3.4 overs.

THE UNSUNG HERO: Worcestershire Head Groundsman Tim Packwood and his staff after their tireless work in enabling cricket to return to the County’s headquarters after the recent flood.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Rapids are back in home action on Wednesday when former Worcestershire Head Coach David Houghton returns with Derbyshire Falcons. It’s a home fixture on the same date against Leicestershire Foxes that is next on the agenda for Durham.

Alex Carey marked his Sussex Sharks debut with a brilliant 78 to set up a 13-run Vitality Blast victory over Somerset at Taunton.

The 27-year-old Australian cracked 7 fours and 4 sixes in a 46-ball innings that entertained a 7,400 crowd. Laurie Evans (33) and David Wiese (26) gave good support in a score of 184 for eight after losing the toss, while Lewis Gregory claimed three for 30.

In reply, Somerset could make only 171 for five, despite an opening stand of 96 in less than 12 overs by Babar Azam (83) and Tom Banton (51). Tymal Mills was the most economical Sussex bowler with one for 27 from 4 overs.

The Sharks had managed only 34 for two in their six-over power play, losing the wickets of Phil Salt, caught at extra cover off the second ball of the innings, sent down by Max Waller, and Luke Wright, bowled off stump by Jerome Taylor, who had dropped him off Gregory two overs earlier.

But the arrival of Carey soon changed the tempo of the innings. The left-hander hit the first six of the match over mid-wicket off Roelof van der Merwe in the eighth over.

Soon Carey was timing the ball sweetly and he took a particular liking to the left-arm spin of van der Merwe, lofting him for 2 straight sixes in the 11th over.

Evans provided positive support, claiming a maximum off Craig Overton’s bowling before being caught at deep cover off Somerset’s young left-arm seamer Tom Lammonby, having faced 27 balls and added 73 with Carey.

The Aussie went to an impressive fifty from 30 deliveries, with 4 fours and 2 sixes, in the 14th over. And, with David Wiese also striking the ball cleanly, 49 runs came off just four overs before Carey was brilliantly caught by Lammonby at long-off.

Gregory was the successful bowler at the start of the 19th over, which also saw him dismiss Weisse with the next ball after the batsmen had crossed, caught at deep mid-wicket, and clean bowl Delray Rawlins with the fourth delivery.

Sussex had two late batsmen to run outs by Somerset wicketkeeper Tom Banton attempting a bye, but still added 15 to their total off the last over, in which Taylor contrived to send down 2 no-balls.

Somerset were given an encouraging start by Banton and Azam, the pairtaking the score to 49 after six overs.

Both players quickly gauged the pace of the pitch. Banton swept Danny Briggs for a flat six over deep square in the seventh over and soon Azam cleared the ropes too with a big hit over long-on off the same bowler.

At the halfway stage, Somerset were well placed at 85 without loss. But Mills stemmed the flow of runs by conceding only three from the 11th over.

Banton went to his fifty off 45 balls, with 6 fours and a six, but the next delivery saw him caught at short fine-leg top-edging an attempted pull off Ollie Robinson.

Azam then brought up his second Blast half-century in as many home games, having faced 32-balls and hit 5 fours and a six. Peter Trego smashed Rashid Khan for a maximum over mid-wicket, but with five overs left Somerset still required 67 and when Azam fell to Khan in the 18th over, having faced just 50 balls, the home side’s last chance had gone.

THE TURNING POINT: Babar Azam was threatening to win the game for Somerset when Rashid Khan induced him to drive a catch to long-on off the fourth ball of the 18th over.

SHOT OF THE DAY: A towering six over long-on by the diminutive Azam off Danny Briggs from the first ball of the ninth over. The Pakistan batsman took steps down the pitch and played a classic shot.

UNSUNG HERO: Tymal Mills – Only one wicket for the pace bowler, but on a good batting wicket his economy rate of 6.75 was a key contribution for the Sharks.

WHAT’S NEXT: Somerset entertain Surrey under the Taunton floodlights next Friday eveing, while on the same night Sussex take on Kent at Hove.